A discourse of the saving grace of God

4. Obliging Conditions. There is no performance of ours, that can of it self oblige the Lord to perform any Promise; the reason, because it is defective, and falls short of what is required: And amongst men, he that promises upon Conditions is not obliged, if the Terms be not duly observed. The Law of our Creation required of us perfect Performance; and no less than perfect Obedience to God will be due from us, while we are Creatures. It is true, Man now wants Power to answer his Engagements, but that was through his own fault; and the Lord does not lose his due, because Man sins against him. Now being defective, and falling short of his Duty, it is sinful; and that which is sinful, is to be punished, not rewarded, as such it has not a Moral fitness for promised Reward; that which is sinful, brings the performer under the Curse, Gal. 3. it deserves eternal Death, Rom. 6. and so cannot oblige the Lord to reward it.

4. Obliging Conditions. There is no performance of ours, that can of it self oblige the Lord to perform any Promise; the reason, because it is defective, and falls short of what is required: And amongst men, he that promises upon Conditions is not obliged, if the Terms be not duely observed. The Law of our Creation required of us perfect Performance; and no less than perfect Obedience to God will be due from us, while we are Creatures. It is true, Man now wants Power to answer his Ingagements, but that was through his own fault; and the Lord does not lose his due, because Man sins against him. Now being defective, and falling short of his Duty, it is sinfull; and that which is sinfull, is to be punished, not rewarded, as such it has not a Moral fitness for promised Reward; that which is sinfull, brings the performer under the Curse, Gal. 3. it deserves eternal Death, Rom. 6. and so cannot oblige the Lord to reward it.

Upon this account, the best performance of any supposed Condition, is so far of it self from making any promised Blessing to be due in point of Justice, that it cannot make it due in point of Faithfulness.